How to Make Ricotta Cheese

Ricotta cheese, the delicious key ingredient in Italian dishes from lasagna to cannoli, is simple to make in your own kitchen. Homemade ricotta cheese requires just a few ingredients, and the result is lighter and fresher than store-bought cheese. See Step 1 and beyond to learn how to make a batch today.

Prepare the strainer. Line the fine-mesh strainer with a large piece of cheesecloth, and set it over the nonreactive bowl. Set this contraption on your work surface so to have it ready for the cheese mixture.

If you don't use cheesecloth, it will be difficult to separate the cheese curds from the whey. You can substitute a double layer of paper towels or a thin cotton dishcloth in a pinch.

Heat the milk, cream and salt. Place the milk, cream and salt in the saucepan and heat the mixture over medium-high heat. Allow it to heat until it reaches 200 degrees F. When the mixture is hot enough, turn off the heat and move the saucepan so the milk can begin to cool. It should take about 5 minutes to reach the correct temperature.

Stir the mixture as it's heating to prevent it from scorching on the bottom.[1]

Use your candy thermometer or an instant-read thermometer to determine whether the mixture has reached the right temperature. If you don't let it cook long enough, the curds won't separate from the whey. If you overcook it, the texture will be ruined.

Slowly add the vinegar. Use one hand to stir constantly while the other hand slowly pours the vinegar into the heated milk and cream mixture. The vinegar will cause the curds to coagulate and separate from the whey. You'll see solid bits forming and floating to the top of the liquid. Keep stirring until all of the vinegar has been added.[2]

The curdling agent in this case is vinegar, but some people prefer to use other substances. Try substituting 3 tablespoons (44.4 ml) of lemon juice for a different flavor.

For a more traditional touch, try using animal rennet as your coagulant.[3] Mix 1 teaspoon of rennet with 1/4 cup of cold water, then stir it into the milk mixture.

Let the mixture sit until it's thick. Wait about 10 - 20 minutes for the coagulant to go to work and cause the curds to separate from the whey. It's ready when the curds have floated to the top to form a thick layer, leaving the liquid whey underneath.

Ladle the curds into the strainer. Scoop out the thick top layer of curds and ladle them over the cheesecloth-covered strainer. Keep ladling out the curds until all that's left in the saucepan is the whey. You can discard the whey at this point.

Let the ricotta drain. Wait at least an hour for the last of the whey to drain from the ricotta through the cheesecloth into the bowl. It will take about half an hour for the ricotta to fully drain. Don't attempt to stir it or push it through the cheesecloth, as this will just push the curds into the cloth.

If you'd like a creamier final product, stop draining the ricotta after 5 - 10 minutes. For a drier final product, wait an hour for it to drain.[4]

Spoon the ricotta into a bowl. The finished ricotta is now ready to use in your favorite recipe. It's delicious as part of a savory dish or a dessert. Ricotta will keep in the refrigerator for about a week.

Save the whey from making cheese in a non-reactive pot. When you make homemade cheese, you'll have curds at the bottom of the pot, and you'll pour off the whey. Filter as many of the curd particles out as you can since they would otherwise form tough "beads" in the final ricotta. Cover the whey and let it sit for at least 12 hours at room temperature to develop sufficient acidity.

Acidified whey acts as its own coagulant, making it unnecessary to add vinegar or lemon juice to separate the curds.

Heat the acidified whey. Pour it into a saucepan and heat it while stirring, taking care to avoid sticking or burning. Heat until the temperature has risen to about 175 degrees Fahrenheit and a white appears on the surface. Continue heating and stirring until the temperature reaches 200 degrees Fahrenheit.

Note that the foam will build up somewhat. Be careful. If it boils, it can boil over.

Remove the whey from heat and wait for it to curdle. Cover it and allow it to cool undisturbed until comfortable to the touch. The curds will soon appear like clouds suspended in the whey, while the whey will be clear and yellowish green.

Strain the ricotta.Do not stir up the curd. Instead, set up a receiving pot with a large strainer and a fine clean cloth on top. Ladle the curds into the cloth, leaving the whey in the saucepan. Discard the whey.

Be sure to scoop out the curds gently. Because the curds are very fine and delicate, they can stop up the cloth easily. This will cause very slow draining if they are broken up.

I didn't get curds. I heated a gallon of milk with 1 cup distilled vinegar and 2 teaspoons of salt to 185 and let it sit for over 1 hour. It looked like the milk had separated but it didn't form curds and when I tried to scoop out the solids, they just dissolved into the whey.

Answered by
wikiHow Contributor

Don't scoop out the solids. Drain it into a pot though a cloth over a strainer, as it says in the instructions.

If we use vinegar as the coagulation agent, will the cheese taste sour like vinegar?

Answered by
wikiHow Contributor

No. The cheese will have an almost imperceptible slight bite at the back of your jaw, kind of like Greek yogurt, but much less. I prefer the Heinz distilled white vinegar, as it is guaranteed to be 5% acidic. I also like to mildly dust the draining curds with popcorn salt and 1 envelope "TRUE LEMON".

This process relies on allowing the inoculated bacteria in whey to further ferment the liquid as it sits at room temperature for an additional 12-24 hours. During that time, the remaining sugars are converted to lactic acid, which lowers the pH of the whey. The solubility of the protein in acidified whey is reduced. Heating the acidified whey denatures the protein causing it to precipitate out as a fine curd.

Reader Success Stories

Richardo Mulligan

Jun 25

"It is a good recipe. It says cook to 200 degrees then take it off the heat and wait 5 minutes until it gets to the proper temp. No where is the proper temperature mentioned. If you are going write proper temp at least tell what is."..." more

Rated this article:

JD

Jagdishchandra Desai

Apr 18, 2016

"The process detailed here with pictures will certainly help enthusiasts to understand thoroughly and implement. I often come across and feel fortunate to get basic information. I am 65 now, and a dairy technologist having served co-operative dairy industry in India from 1972 to 2009."..." more

RB

Raymond Brodie

Sep 7

"Absolutely blown away by the results. The finished product was to die for. I used the recipe as written, but added 1 envelope of True Lemon (0.8 g). The color was yellowish and the texture firmer than store-bought with larger curds."..." more

Rated this article:

CD

Claire Depont

Aug 15, 2016

"It taught me how to make the farmer's cheese along with genuine ricotta. It also taught me that the whey left over from making genuine ricotta can be used to make sourdough bread. No waste whatsoever! Very excited to try it all!"..." more

SG

Stephen G.

Aug 5

"We used the milk-based method. Recipe is similar to one we used in a cooking class and it worked perfectly! I tried the lemon juice and vinegar versions. Thanks for the help."..." more

Rated this article:

CL

Catherine Leniston

Jul 3, 2016

"Clear instructions. Worked great, even though I substituted vinegar with lemons. Will try making muffins with some of the whey as I would with buttermilk. Thank you."..." more

AC

Ann Crowley

Jun 3

"I'm experimenting with making cheese at home, and this article was very clear and helpful. Thanks. The detail of the timing and quantities was especially helpful."..." more

Rated this article:

RM

Richard Mulligan

Apr 4, 2016

"Great recipe. Step-by-step instructions were remarkably easy to follow. My first attempt at making this delicious cheese. No more store-bought for me. Thank you."..." more

LB

Lillian Blute

Aug 16

"I thought it was great! Step by step, easy, and the finished product was amazing my whole family ate my ricotta cheese in my ravioli. Thanks."..." more

A

Anonymous

Feb 17

"I think the best way is to read the making method through properly. If you have any issues, reread it. Thanks heaps, was very tasty."..." more

DB

D. J. Beaulieu

May 29

"I was able to make ricotta cheese for a recipe with ingredients I had in the house, including how to make heavy cream."..." more

Rated this article:

MD

Maria Dominguez-Holden

Jun 22, 2016

"It was a very concise explanation on how to make ricotta, very clear on what steps to take next."

A

Anonymous

Jun 4

"Step-by-step instructions really helped. Would like to have nutritional facts included, too."

A

Anonymous

Mar 5

"The pictures added to the instructions show clearly what to do. Thanks very much."

CH

Cindy Holson

Jun 21, 2016

"I love the article. This is very helpful with step by step instructions. Thanks."